Lee Currie meets some remarkable people, whose sole passion is the plight of the barn swallows at Mount Moreland.
The last time I visited Mount Moreland the swallows were in full flight and King Shaka International Airport had not yet opened its doors. This time the swallows had flown north and the aircraft were in full flight.
While interviewing residents Ted and Hilary Vickers, and Angie Wilken, chairman of the Mount Moreland Ratepayers’ Association, we had to pause several times as the planes rumbled above us. Some seemed so close I felt I could reach up and touch their undercarriages.
Barn swallow ringing workshops
“They’re not nearly as close as they look,” said Ted, perhaps noticing my apprehensive glances skywards. “Actually, we used to have microlights and helicopters flying above us, making a lot more noise, but they’re now restricted because of the airport traffic.”
For more than 30 years the airport saga hung over Mount Moreland residents as plans for the major development were sporadically aired and shelved. Finally, in 2006 it became a reality when it was announced that building would begin, and the environmentally active trio sprang into action.
Mount Moreland is a tranquil, semi-rural settlement – a hamlet really – just a couple of kilometres inland of Umdloti. There are just 98 houses in this close-knit community. What makes it unique is that it looks on to a wetland spanning 3.6ha; home for a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, including the now famous summer roosting place for barn swallows. It also happens to be just 2.6km from the airport and directly in its flight path.
From the outset Ted, Hilary and Angie were determined to protect this precious wetland and ensure that measures were taken to allow a co-existence between the swallows and the airport. For more than a year, the trio provided input at public EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) meetings as well as swallow and wetland forum meetings facilitated by Acsa, to monitor the impact of the airport (these are still ongoing).
Hilary chairs the Lake Victoria Conservancy, established in 1995 to protect the swallows. (Ted says there used to be a lake there a long time ago, hence the name.) Apparently very deep, the remnant wetland is covered with indigenous Phragmities reeds, offering protection to the swallows and other birds that roost there.
Up until 2006, from October to May, the community had the spectacular sight of more than three million swallows coming home to roost. For 15 years Ted recorded their movements, earning his findings a place in a scientific paper. In the light of the new airport, the trio felt it was time to “go public” and set up a terraced view site overlooking the reed bed. “We wanted to highlight the swallows’ plight and share what we had learned,” explains Hilary, a former museum educator.
It didn’t take long for word to spread as dozens of people arrived every evening, treated to a spectacular show, often against the backdrop of magnificent sunsets. To raise funds for the cause, books, puzzles and other memorabilia were sold at the view site, and later through their informative barn swallow website.
World-wide recognition
While the Mount Moreland barn swallows have gained world-wide recognition, Hilary is quick to point out that it’s not just the swallows in need of protection. “Ted has recorded more than 200 species of birds in the area and close by we have another wetland called the Froggy Swamp, with more than 20 frog species and an abundance of insects, snakes, chameleons and leguaans, vital to the functioning of these valuable wetlands.”
A positive spin-off for this “green lung area” is that there are plans to build a road from the airport into Mount Moreland. “Being just a few minutes from King Shaka the area is already attracting investors,” says Angie, a multi-talented graphic artist. “Mount Moreland is in the process of being rezoned from its residential status to mixed commercial use, which should increase property values and present development opportunities for enterprises such as boutique hotels, offices and B&Bs. We’ve also been given a new name, Inkonjane, which is Zulu for barn swallow.”
It’s too early to gauge the impact of the airport on the inhabitants of the wetlands. One thing is certain though; their custodians will always be looking out for them.
For more info: see www.barnswallow.co.za or contact Angie Wilken at 031 568 1557.